Battle for the Planet of the Apes

Starring: Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, John Huston
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Rating: G
Genre: Science Fiction, Action
1973

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Caesar (Roddy McDowall) leads his group of gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans against a small band of human survivors bent on their destruction.

Review:

Tim: I know many people weren't too fond of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, but I thought it was a fitting end to this science fiction franchise. In many ways, these five films feel like a circle. After the events of the first two films, the remainder feel like they were closing the gap in the timeline. That added sense of building towards a future that is already certain is at the heart of this movie- as is the question- can you change the future?

I really enjoyed the many aspects of this film that connected it with previous films. The writers did a fairly good job of this, although they could have done better. I wish more time and energy had gone into ensuring this film fit the timeline better, and I wish the ways that it did fit were more clearly communicated. Still, it was fun watching events unfold when you suspected you knew how it was all going to turn out. That makes the audience question things like predetermination and whether or not we have the freedom to change the future that has been written. Meditating on those questions gave this film some added depth.

Once again, Roddy McDowall gives a good performance in a Planet of the Apes movie. He is quite convincing as Caesar, and he has some good supporting players around him. I don't believe anyone else really stood out and shined, but everyone gave good enough performances to make the film work. I do wish someone else in the cast had managed to separate themselves, but the decent performances of everyone work well enough for me.

I enjoyed the climactic final battle. We haven't really seen many human-ape battles, especially not of that scope. The ape city battle sequence is impressive, and one of the highlights of the entire franchise. The make-up, as we have come to expect, is once again excellent. I also really enjoyed some of the tree top scenes. These moments took quite a bit of coordination to look right, and not as if humans in ape suits were performing them. The stunts here are impressive.

One of my complaints of this film is that I wish it was a bit more clear on the events of this film in their relation to previous films. I understand the movie's desire to keep this ambiguous and have the audience grapple with finding their own answers, but I believe this makes it a bit unsatisfying. Unclear endings are often a terrific storytelling tool, but I wanted a bit more from this film. After investing time over five movies, I just wanted a more satisfying conclusion.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes is not a great movie, but it does enough right for me to have had a fun, entertaining time watching it. I love that these movies exist on a deeper level than purely an action sci-fi film. There are themes of racism, nuclear holocaust, fate v. free will, and more. Those elements make this an interesting series, even when the quality of the films doesn't live up to expectations. After the great original film, I've mostly been disappointed with the sequels. This one, however, ends the franchise on a slightly higher note, and for that, I am thankful.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Planet of te Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape From the Planet of the Aps, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes